Sailboat



Nov. 22, 1955 J. J. SZAKACS SAILBOAT Filed March 29, 1951 INVENTOR. Joseph J. 5zakacs 5}:

TORNEY 2,724,356 Patented Nov. 22, 1955 United States Patent Ofiice SAILBOAT Joseph J. Szakacs, San Diego, Calif.

Application March 29, 1951, Serial No. 218,150

10 Claims. (Cl. 114-39) This invention relates to watercraft and more particularly to an improved form of sailing rig for use with watercraft.

One object of this invention is the provision of a novel method of mounting a sail on a watercraft wherein the sail is automatically trimmed to a safe and correct angle relative to the wind.

Another object. of the present invention is to provide for Watercraft a sail and improved mounting apparatus therefor whereby, as the direction of the axis of the watercraft hull is changed relative to the direction of the wind, the sail is automatically actuated by wind pressure into proper position.

Another object of this invention is to provide a sailing rig for watercraft embodying improved mounting means for a sail wherein the sail is adaptedto rotate freely in response to change of wind direction to assume automatically the correct setting.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved apparatus for maintaining automatically a triangular sail in proper position relative to the angle of the wind to effect a sailingboat which is easily handled and which aifords a safe and comfortable ride.

Another object of the invention resides in providing a unique sailing rig for watercraft which embodies an improved construction permitting its ready attachment to watercraft.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved form of sailing rig for watercraft which is particularly characterized by its economy of manufacture, its simplicity, its ease of installation, and its efiiciency of operation.

Other objects and features of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following specification and appended drawings wherein is illustrated a preferred form of the invention and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a boat equipped with a sailing rig embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the mounting means for the rudder;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a detail with a portion cut away to better illustrate the manner of mounting a swivel member;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a detail; and

Figure 5 diagrammatically illustrates therelative positions of the sail as the angle of the axis of the hull of the boat is changed relative to the wind.

The drawings illustrate the use of the present invention with a row-boat, here generally indicated by the numeral 10, which is of conventional construction, embodying a usual hull 11 having a transom 12 and with a seat 13 adjacent the transom 12.

The sailing rig of the present invention is generally designated by the numeral 14. The sailing rig 14 includes a mast 15 the lower end of which rests upon the seat 13. The mast 15 is held to the boat by a mounting assembly 16 which includes a channel member 17 fitted over the edge of transom 12 and secured thereto by a pair of usual clamping thumb-screws 18. The mast 15 passes through a generally U-shaped strap 21 carried by the channel member 17 and has its foot disposed within an opening 22 provided in a brace-block 23 secured to the top of seat 13, as by screws 24, or by any other wellltnown fastening devices. Such loads as are applied to the mast 15 will be cared for by the arrangement above described; the brace-block 23 will hold the mast 15 against side-loads and the strap 21 will restrain the mast 15 on application of other types of loads. The use of a brace-block 23 is not compulsory. If desired, an opening could be cut through seat 13 through which the mast 15 could be passed to rest upon the bottom of the boat. The edge surfaces defining the opening would serve to accept the side loads applied to the mast. It is obvious that with this arrangement the mast 15 may be readily removed from the boat 10 and stored if desired. The described arrangement atfords portability to the mast 15 and such sail as may be connected thereto. If a permanent installation were required, the mast 15 could be rigidly secured to transom 12 as by spaced U-bolts or by the use of any other conventional permanent-type fasteners.

Helm-controlling mechanism indicated generally by the numeral 25, comprising a tiller bar 26, rudder 27 and rudder shaft 28, is operatively supported. at the stern of boat 10 by a mounting assembly 29 which is associated with the mast mounting assembly 16. Mounting assembly 29 includes a two-piece sleeve or hearing 31 comprising elongated, substantially half-round in cross-section sleeve members 32 and 33, with member 32 fixedly secured to the channel member 17. A brace 34 positions member 32 at the desired angle to properly position the rudder 27 relative to the boat 10. The brace 34 is secured to the channel 17 and the member 32 by welding. Member 32 is welded to channel 17 in the area indicated at 35. Member 31 is adapted to be fitted to member 32 with its longitudinal edges positioned upon and coextensive with the longitudinal edges of member 32. A space is afforded between brace 34 and welded area which accommodates the bight of a U-boit 36 whose legs extend at either side of member 32. The legs of U-bolt 36 extend through apertured integral lugs 38 provided by removable sleeve member 33 and cooperate with wing-nuts 39 to secure member 33 to member 32 to effect a bearing for rudder shaft 28. Rudder shaft 28 is adapted to be fitted loosely between sleeve members 32 and 33 so that the rudder 27 may be rotated by the tiller bar 26. A pair of clamps 41 and 42 are positioned on rudder shaft 28, one at each end of the bearing 31, and are adapted to be tightened into clamped position on shaft 28 by means of screws 43 and prevent axial movement of rudder shaft 28. Clamps 41 and 42 thus serve to properly locate the rudder 27 relative to the boat and the water. An anti- .friction washer 44 is fitted on rudder shaft 28 between the upper clamp 41 and the bearing sleeve 31 to permit ready rotation of the rudder shaft 28 within the sleeve 31. With the construction herein described the helm-controlling mechanism 25 may be removed alone, through sepa' ration of sleeve member 33 from sleeve member 32, or removed as a unit with the mast mounting assembly 16 merely by loosening of the thumb-screws 18 to separate their swivel plates from the transom 12 to release channel 17 from transom 12. This arrangementrprovides desirable portability and permits the ready attachment of the helm-controlling mechanism 25 to various boats.

It is to be understood that the mast 15 may be of any conventional type and formed of any suitable material. The location of the mast 15 on a watercraft is required to be substantially at the stern of the watercraft and to the rear of the sail to be used. With the mast 15 positioned aft of the sail rather than forward, a source of turbulence and wind eddies is removedand the wind is permitted to flow smoothly onto and around the sail.

Sailing rig 14, additionally to mast 15, embodies a triangular or leg-of-mutton sail 45 framed by a strip 46, formed of wood such as oak, which is sewn into the sail at its foot 47, and a steel cable 48 which extends along the luff 51 and leech 52 and is made fast at each end to oaken strip 46, as at 53 and 54, by suitable screw means. The edges of the sail fabric along the luff and the leech are sewn around the cable 48 to encase it. A number of stretcher members 55 of varying lengths and in substantial parallelism, made of oak or other suitable material, serve to maintain the desired triangular shape of the sail 45. The oaken stretcher members 55 are supported in place by being sewn into the canvas. A vertical groove 56, as shown in Figure 4, is afforded in each end of the various stretcher members 55 to accommodate the cable 48. An eyelet 57 is afforded at the apex of the triangular sail 45, below the cable 48, through which a connectioncan be made to the mast 15. This connection is afforded by a conventional 360 swivel 58 which hooks to eyelet 57. A hoisting halyard 59 is secured to swivel 58 and passes over a sheave (not shown) at the top of mast 15 and extends downwardly along the mast 15 through suitable guide hooks 61 to a cleat 62 provided near the lower end of mast 15, to which cleat 62 the halyard 59 may be made fast.

A second 360 swivel 63 is attached by a cord 64 to the oaken strip 46 at the foot of sail 45 as shown in Figure 3 and has one end of a line 65 connected to it. The opposite end of line 65 is secured to a fixed member 66 on the bottom of the boat 10. As best shown in Figure 1, mast 15 is provided with a forward bend. The purpose of bending mast 15 is to pre-load it and thereby do away with the need for braces and stays. Further with a stressed or pre-loaded mast the mast 15 may be of lighter weight and yet will accomplish the desired purpose of affording a proper support for the sail. The bending of mast 15 is effected by means of line 65, through which line the required bending force is applied to the sail 45 and transmitted therethrough to the top of mast 15. The connection of line 65 between the sail 45 and fixed member 66 is such that its line of direction will project through the apex of the triangular sail 45. The projection of line 65 is shown diagrammatically in Figure 1 and is indicated by numeral67. Sail 45 under the pressure of wind forces will rotate about the projection 67 of line 65 as an axis. To permit sail 45 to operate in the manner desired the present invention requires that the line 65 be secured to foot 47 of said 45 in only that portion thereof which lies between 22% to 30% of its length measured from the forward end of the sail 45. The opposite end of line 65 must be secured to the bottom of boat, at such a point that a projection of its line of direction always passes through the apex of triangular sail 45. V

In the bending of mast care is taken that it not be bent to such an extent that the center of pressure of the sail 45, indicated at 68, be located forwardly of the center of lateral resistance of the boat 10, shown at 69, when the sail 45 lies in a fore-and-aft position, rather the amount of bending of mast 15 is restricted so that the center of pressure 68 will lie aft of the center of lateral resistance 69. The amount of horizontal spacing between the transverse plane of the center of pressure 68 and the transverse plane of the center of lateral resistance 69 should lie in the range of from 1% to 8% of the mean chord line taken at the center of pressure of sail 45 to achieve the most satisfactory performance. Further, the angle that the inclined axis of rotation 67 of sail 45 makes with the vertical is required to be held to the range of 10* to 18.

Figure 5'i1lustrates diagrammatically the various positions automatically assumed by sail 45 when the boat 10 is directed by the rudder 27 to move at various angles to the wind whose direction in the various views is indicated by the arrows W. The sail 45 is adapted to automatically adjust to accept wind forces to effect propulsion of the boat 10 at all angles of the boat to the wind, except that the sail cannot satisfactorily propel the boat 10 if the wind is directly astern. View A of Figure 5 illustrates the positions 72 and 73 (shown in dotted outline) that the sail 45 will assume when the wind is directly astern. The sail 45 will snap between positions 72 and 73 and the boat 10 will be caused to follow an erratic or zig-Zag course in getting from point to point. To effect satisfactory operation of boat 10 when running directly before the wind a rope 74 is attached to the aft end of the foot 47 of sail 45. With the rope 74 the sail 45 may be held in a or transverse, position to the boat, as shown in dotted outline at 75, to take full advantage of the following wind. A second use for the rope 74 is that it may be employed to tie the sail 45 to the mast 15 to hold the sail 45 in a fore and aft position, as shown at 76, whereupon the rudder 27 may be operated to nose the boat10 into the wind and thereby render the wind force ineffective and thus maintain the boat 10 substantially stationary, which is to be desired when the occupant wishes to disembark.

The purpose of the above described sail mounting arrangement is to secure an inclined axis of rotation, indicated in the drawings by the numeral 67, which permits the sail 45 to operate in the desired manner to effect satisfactory propulsion of the boat 10 carrying the sail 45. The center of gravity force of the sail 45 causes it to balance about the inclined axis 67. The force of the wind tends to feather or move the sail 45 into a neutral position, or a position of zero incidence. The center of gravity force of the sail 45 has a tendency to align the sail 45 on the center-line of the boat with the leading edge or luff 51 forward.v The sail 45 balancing between its center of gravity force and the force of the wind will assume a positive incidence relative to the wind thereby causing a positive, forward acting, force to be exerted to propel the boat 10 regardless of the wind direction. It is to be understood that the present invention is adapted to be used with a variety of watercraft and is not confined to use with a row-boat as illustrated herein. Watercraft such as ice boats, catamarans, model boats, auxiliary power boats and the like can be fitted with a sailing rig of the present invention.

While a certain preferred embodiment of the invention has been specifically disclosed, it is understood that the invention is not limited thereto as many variations will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art and the invention is to be given its broadest possible, interpretation within the terms of the following claims. 7

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a watercraft, a mast, a triangular sail, and means mounting said sail forwardly of said mast, said same means mounting said sail for rotative movement automatically to operative position under the pressure of the wind, said rotative movement being about an inclined axis lying spaced from the forward edge of the sail and extending from the foot of the sail to the apex thereof, the angle of inclination to the vertical of said axis of rotation being in the range of between 10 degrees to 18 degrees, said means comprising a universal means carried by said mast and having an operative connection to the apex of the triangular sail to support the sail from the mast and a second universal means secured to the foot of the sail for connecting the sail to the watercraft, said two universal means disposed in the line of said inclined axis.

2. In combination with a watercraft, a mast, a triangular sail, and means mounting said sail for rotative movement automatically to operative position under the pressure of the wind, said rotative movement being about an inclined axis lying spaced from the forward edge of the sail and extending from the foot of the sail to the apex thereof, the angle of inclination to the vertical of said axis of rotation being in the range of between degrees to 18 degrees, said means comprising a universal means mounted on said mast and having an operative connection to the apex of said triangular sail for rotatively supporting the sail from the mast and a second universal means secured to the foot of the sail for rotatively connecting the sail to the watercraft, the connection of the second universal means being at a point on said foot of the sail lying in an area extending from 22 percent to 30 percent of the length of said foot measured from the forward end of the foot.

3. In combination with a watercraft, a mast, a triangular sail, and means positioning said sail forwardly of said mast and relative to said watercraft to locate the center of pressure of the sail aft of the center of lateral resistance of the watercraft whenthe sail lies in a fore and aft position, said same means mounting said sail for automatic rotative movement to operative position under the action of wind forces, said rotative movement being about an inclined axis lying spaced from the forward edge of said sail, said means comprisingauniversal means mounted on said mast and having an operative connection to the apex of said triangular sail for rotatively supporting the sail at its apex from the mast, a second universal means secured to the foot of the sail, and a line interconnecting said second universal means and the watercraft, said two universal means and said interconnecting line being arranged in the line of said inclined axis.

4. In combination with a watercraft, a mast, a sail, means positioning said sail forwardly of said mast and relative to said watercraft to locate the center of pressure of the sail aft of the center of lateral resistance of the watercraft when the sail lies in a fore and aft position, said same means mounting said sail for automatic rotative movement to operative position under the action of wind forces, said rotative movement being about an inclined axis lying spaced from the forward edge of said.

sail and forwardly of said center of pressure of said sail,

said means comprising a universal means carried by said mast and having an operative connection to the sail for rotatively supporting the sail from the mast, a second universal means secured to the foot of the sail, and a line interconnecting said second universal means and the watercraft, said first and second universal means and said interconnecting line being arranged in the line of said inclined axis, said interconnecting line being stressed to exert a bending pull through said sail, and said two universal means and along said axis of rotation to bend said mast forward to place it in a pre-loaded state.

5. In combination with a watercraft, a mast, a triangular sail, means positioning said sail forwardly of said mast and relative to said watercraft to locate the center of pressure of the sail aft of the center of lateral resistance of the Watercraft when the sail lies in a fore and aft position and for mounting said sail for automatic rotative movement to operative position under the action of wind forces, said rotative movement being about an inclined axis lying spaced from the forward edge of said sail and extending from the foot of the sail to the apex thereof, the angle of inclination to the vertical of said axis of rotation being in the range of between 10 degrees and 18 degrees, said meanscomprising a universal means having a connection to said mast and to said sail for rotatively supporting the sail from the mast, a second universal means secured to the foot of the sail at from 22 percent to 30 percent of the length of said foot measured from the forward end thereof, and a line interconnecting said second universal means and the watercraft, said first and second universal means and said interconnecting line being arranged in the line of said inclined axis, and means for bending said mast forward to place the mast in a preloaded state, said latter means comprising said line which a exerts a bending pull through said sail and along said axis of rotation. I

6. In combination with a watercraft, a mast, a sail, and

chord line of the sail taken through said center of pres sure thereof, said same means mounting said sail for rotative movement to operative position under the action of wind forces, said rotative movement being about an inclined axis lying spaced from the forward edge of said sail and forwardly of said center of pressure of said sail, said means comprising a universal means having a connection to said mast and to said sail for rotatively supporting the sail from the mast,- a second universal means secured to the foot of the sail, and a line interconnecting said second universal means and the watercraft, said two universal means and said interconnecting line being arranged along the line of said inclined axis.

7. in combination with a watercraft, a mast, a triangular sail, means positioning said sailforwardly of said mast relative to said watercraft to locate the center of pressure of the sail aft of the center of lateral resistance of the watercraft when the sail lies in a fore and aft position and for mounting said sail for automatic rotative movement to operative position under the action of wind forces, the distance that said center of pressure of the sail is spaced from said center of lateral pressure being in the range of from 1% to 8% of the length of the mean chord line of the sail taken through the center of pressure thereof, said rotative movement being about an inclined axis lying spaced from the forward edge of said sail and extending from the foot of the sail to the apex thereof, the angle of inclination of said axis of rotation being in the range of between 10 degrees and 18 degrees, said means comprising a universal means supported from said mast and having an operative connection to said sail for rotatively supporting the sail from the mast, a second universal means secured to the foot of the sail at from 22 percent to 30 percent of the length of said foot measured from the forward end thereof, and a line interconnecting said second universal means and the watercraft, said first and second universal means and said interconnecting line being arranged in the line of said inclined axis, said interconnecting line being stressed to exert a bending pull through said sail, said two universal means and along said axis of rotation to bend said mast forward to place it in a pre-loaded state.

8. In combination with a watercraft, a mast, a triangular sail, means mounting said sail for rotative movement automatically to operative position under the pressure of the Wind, said rotative movement being about an inclined axis lying spaced from the forward edge of the sail and extending from the foot of the sail to the apex thereof, the angle of inclination to the vertical of said axis of rotation being in the range of between 10 degrees to 18 degrees, said means comprising a universal means having a connection to said mast and to said sail for rotatively supporting the sail from the mast and a second universal means secured to the foot of the sail for rotatively connecting the sail to the watercraft, the connection of the second universal means being at a point on said foot of the sail lying in an area extending from 22 percent to 30 percent of the length of said. foot measured from the forward end of the foot and means secured to the aft end of the foot of the sail to permit manual control of the sail.

9. In combination with a watercraft, a mast, a triangular sail, means positioning said sail forwardly of said mast and relative to said watercraft to locate the center of pressure of the sail aft of the center of lateral resistance of the watercraft when the sail lies in a fore and aft position, said same means mounting said sail for automatic rotative movement to operative position under the about an inclined axis lying spaced from the forward edge of said sail and extending from the foot of the sail to the apex thereof, the angle of inclination to the vertical of said axis of rotation being in the range of between 10 degrees and 18 degrees, said means comprising a universal means having an operative connection to said mast and to said sail for rotatively supporting the sail from the mast, a second universal means secured to the foot of the sail at from 22 percent to 30 percent of the length of said foot measured from the forward end thereof, and a line interconnecting said second universal means and the watercraft, said first and second universal means and said interconnecting line being arranged in the line of said inclined axis, said interconnecting line being stressed to exert a bending pull through said sail, said two universal means and along said axis of rotation to bend said mast iii forward to place it in a pre-loaded state, and means se- I a point forward of said mast, a boom pivotally attached to said -pivot member, and with the greater part of its length lying and capable of swinging between said pivot member and saidmast and another part extending forward beyond said pivot member, a sheet connected to said boom to control the swinging movement thereof, and a triangular area of sail constituting the main sail area of the boat connected at its lower end to said boom and hoistable between said boom and the masthead.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 24,090 Bell May 24, 1859 70,256 Peterson Oct. 29, 1867 1,589,488 Smith June 22, 1926 2,107,303 Ljungstrom Feb. 8, 1938 2,197,654 Beudry Apr. 16,1940 2,364,578 Wilkie a Dec. 5, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS 5,205 Great Britain July 8, 1825 8,885 Great Britain A. D. 1903 OTHER REFERENCES Boat Book, 2nd ed., Popular Mechanics Press, Chicago, 1935, pages 174, 175, 177; page specifically relied on.

The Sailing Boat by H. C. Folkard, 4th ed.,-pages 74- 83. Published by Longmans Green Co., London, 1870; Patent Office Library No. V M 351. F 66 1870. 

